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Telegraph-Journal

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SAINT JOHN - ANE Week harness racing will draw to a close with an action-packed doubleheader this afternoon.

There are a pair of nine-dash cards with the early card getting underway at 1 p.m. and the second program going postward at 4:30 p.m.

The feature of the early card is The Maritimer stake race for three-year-old pacing fillies. A total of 20 entries have been split into three elimination races and the top finishers will advance to the final later in the card.

The elimination heats carry a purse of $6,818 each and are slated as races 4, 5 and 6 on the early program. The finalists will square off for a $13,636 purse in Race 9.

The second card features Atlantic Sires Stakes action for three-year-old pacing colts and the $8,000 ANE Invitational Pace.

There are two $2,500 B divisions for the sophomore colts and a pair of $12,720 A divisions in the 'glamour boys' category.

Gilles Barrieau, who reached the 3,000-win pleateau in his career on Thursday, will drive two of the favourites in the A division colt races.

He has Accelerated Force from post two in the sixth race that has eight starters. Barrieau will also drive Plea Bargain from Post 7 in the nine-horse eighth race.

The free-for-all race, which is the final race of the ANE Week schedule, has drawn one of the best fields the Port City oval has seen in years.

Pownal Bay Matt, who gave veteran Earl Smith his first Gold Cup and Saucer triumph a couple of weeks ago, has been installed as the 2-1 morning-line favourite and will score from Post 4, while early-season star Outlawpositivcharg (Terry Gallant) drew the second post.

Other starters in the balanced field are, in order of post position, Lakota Hall (Walter Cheverie), Samspace (Dennis Baxter), St Pete Star (Danny Romo), P H Bestman (Todd Trites), Country Estate (Gilles Barrieau) and Henschke A (Darren Crowe).